The Power of Fostering: Ten Pups Transformed After Living in a Foster Home

By Chelsea Tirone

Valia Orfanidou

There are millions of dogs in shelters all over the world. Some will get adopted quickly, and others won't -- especially the ones who are sick, injured or shy. These pups rely on a group of people, called foster parents, willing to take them into their home until they are ready for adoption.

Here are 10 stories of dogs found in unimaginable conditions who were transformed after living in a foster home.

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1. PrincessWhen a Florida man saw a small bulldog laying on the side of the road, he knew something was wrong and immediately called for help. Thankfully, Adopt-a-Bull rescue stepped in to give the dog, whom they named Princess, all the help she needed. This is Princess when she was first found:

Princess had a terrible skin condition that was left untreated by her previous owners. Though the condition was treatable, her owners didn’t want to deal with it and threw her out on the streets like trash.

Princess was so weak when she was found, she could barely keep her eyes open. Thankfully, after a few days, she gained some strength and was eventually healthy enough to go to her foster home. Now Princess is a happy, healthy dog all thanks to her foster parents:

2.Sienna RoseA dog-fight survivor, Sienna Rose was rescued from a Baltimore, Maryland, shelter by Second Chance Rescue in New York City. Sienna Rose suffered a horrific dog bite that left her nose and part of her face damaged.

She needed surgery because even though she could eat and breathe, there was no division between her mouth and nose, so nothing was ending up in the right place. After she recovered from surgery, she went to a foster home in Connecticut, where she transformed into a totally new dog:

3. Bethany When Hope for Paws got a call about a homeless, sick dog, Eldad Hagar didn't realize just how sick she actually was. The dog was covered in mange, dehydrated and suffering from an injury to her right paw. To make matters worse, she was recently pregnant and had to abandon her puppies due to her poor health. Hagar and Annie Hart, of the Bill Foundation, were able to rescue her. They named her Bethany:

She began a 23-day treatment at the vet and was eventually healthy enough to enter foster care. Bethany made a remarkable recovery while in a foster home and even made a dog friend, Olivia, whom she would eventually be adopted with:

4. Nik NakWhen a small dog was brought to a South African shelter to be put down because he was too "yucky looking," one person stepped up to help. Corgi-mix Nik Nak suffered from extreme neglect, a broken leg and a scabbed face:

5. ChrisChris was brought into the Animal Care Centers of NYC in terrible condition. He was dangerously skinny and had scars all over him. He was immediately transferred to an emergency veterinarian to receive medical care. Once stable enough, Chris was picked up by his foster parent and made an incredible transformation:

6. RobinSix-month-old pup Robin was found tied up in an abandoned yard with her mouth terribly swollen. Robin was taken to BARCS Animal Shelter in Baltimore, Maryland, where veterinarians determined that her mouth had been tied shut with a rope for a very long period of time, possibly to keep her from barking:

Thankfully, BARCS director of operations, Lisa Morabito, was able to foster Robin and made her road to recovery as painless and quick as possible. Because of Morabito, Robin was able to find her forever home:

8. BebeBebe, a pup from Lincolnshire, England, witnessed something no dog -- or human -- should ever have to witness: her family being murdered. When authorities found Bebe she was frightened, nervous, confused and scared of the police's bright-colored jackets:

Though she is still a little frightened of her surroundings, she is making great strides thanks to her foster parents. After only a few days in foster care, she came out of her shell and started to act like a loving, playful puppy:

9. Miss Phryne FisherFor Miss Phryne Fisher, 24 hours in foster care was all it took for her to come out of her shell. She was a scared and lonely pup living at A Purposeful Rescue in Los Angeles, California, when her foster mom picked her up. In just 24 hours, Miss Phryne completely transformed and became a whole new dog:

10. BillyAnd finally, one of the most amazing foster transformations: Billy from Greece. Billy was a stray dog living in Greece when his future foster mom, Valia Orfanidou, spotted a picture of him online. At first, she thought it was just a cartoon dog for a zombie movie:

When she found out the dog was in fact, not a zombie, Orfanidou decided to track him down and bring him to the veterinarian. To Orfanidou's surprise, the vet said Billy was actually quite healthy despite his condition. Billy went home with Orfanidou, where he began his recovery. After just two months, Billy was completely unrecognizable: